Council’s request for late-night licence suspension superseded by national curfew

Stone Town Council wrote to the borough authority in August to ask for a series of measures in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak linked to the Crown and Anchor pub this summer.

As well as a suspension of late night licences the town council requested a formal review of the Crown and Anchor’s premises licence and weekend evening patrols by the authority’s enforcement team and police to ensure Covid-19 rules were being adhered to.

But a response from the authority’s licensing manager Julie Wallace in August said: “Stafford Borough Council as the licensing authority cannot impose a blanket ban on the late opening hours of public houses in Stone.

“Such measures could only be imposed after a full review of each individual premise licence. It would be disproportionate and contrary to the statutory guidance to impose such a measure on all premises licences in Stone.”

Town councillors heard at this month’s General Purposes Committee meeting however that national measures brought in by the Government to control the latest rise in Covid-19 cases meant last orders were now to be called earlier at night.

Councillor Rob Kenney, chairman of the general purposes committee, said: “When we asked for this it was during the outbreak at the Crown and Anchor – at that point the Crown and Anchor was the only premises open after midnight in Staffordshire. That was one of the reasons we asked for this ban.

“Having said that, there’s no need for us to do it anymore because the Government have gone a step further and hit a little bit harder with a blanket ban on all those premises (staying open) after 10pm.”

Councillor Ian Fordham, who put forward the proposal at the August meeting, said: “When Stone Town Council requested the suspension of these licences it was to reduce the transmission of the virus during the pandemic by preventing Stone from becoming a late night attraction.

“I take no comfort from the fact our concerns have been proven correct, as has been demonstrated by today’s announcement by the Government of the imposition of the 10pm curfew.

“I am however reassured we are doing our best to reduce transmission of the virus while life and business continues.”

The town council was told by the borough council that if it wished to call for a formal review of the Crown and Anchor’s premises licence it would also have to serve a letter and application form on the pub and to all of the responsible authorities, such as Staffordshire Police, at the same time.

Councillor Kenney said: “I propose we do continue with that review – some action needs to be looked into and we need to be satisfied they are meeting their licensing objectives relating to public safety.”

Fellow town councillors backed the proposal, but there was one abstention from Councillor Jonathan Powell.

In response to the request for evening patrols an email from Stafford Borough Council said: “The council has a finite resource to use in carrying out its regulatory functions and therefore has to effectively prioritise this resource. There is a need to be proportional in carrying out regulatory functions to ensure that no undue extra burden is placed on compliant businesses but is targeted at non-compliant businesses.

“Therefore, we will continue to monitor non-complaint businesses where we have evidence obtained through local intelligence gathering and complaints received. The council will work with other enforcement agencies such as the Police, Trading Standards and with the Director of Public Health at the county council to investigate and monitor those businesses exhibiting greatest risk.”

Chief Inspector Giles Parsons, Stafford Borough’s Neighbourhood Policing Commander, said: “We have a plan agreed with the borough council around the premise concerned.

“We already do Safer Nights patrols at weekends in Stone with a focus on the night time economy. Please be reassured we are keen working with partners to avoid this re-occurring.”